United States coinage type set is a visual collection of each of the types of coins produced by the US Mints. A "Type set" collection is enjoyed by some collectors of coins who try to collect one example of as many types of coins as they can.
Due to various reasons (including prohibitive cost), collectors will sometimes group several different coins together as one "type." For example, one could collect a Liberty Seated dime, quarter, and half dollar, and call that their example of a Liberty Seated coin for each denomination. Or, they could choose to collect an example of sub-types within the Liberty Seated design, including the with and without arrows at date, and with and without mottos.
Additionally, delineating sub-types within a particular design is not always consistent. For example, almost all type collectors consider the 1909 "V.D.B." Lincoln cent to be different from the 1909 no-"V.D.B." Lincoln cent (where the designer's initials, V.D.B., were displayed on the bottom of the reverse and removed about a month later). However, the "V.D.B." initials were returned to the Lincoln cent in 1918 on the bottom of the bust on the obverse, and almost no type collector considers this a separate type. Likewise in the Lincoln cent series, the composition change in 1943 to steel and the composition change in 1982 from bronze to copper-plated zinc are considered separate types by almost all, but the brass composition used in 1944-1946 is not considered a separate type from the 1947 return to bronze. (The Lincoln cent series is full of other examples, including modifications to the size of Lincoln's bust during the early 1970s).
Consequently, each collector will need to decide for themselves how specific they wish to be when putting together a U.S. coin type set, though the decision is often made for them if they choose specific albums, such as the very popular Dansco 7070.
US Copper Type Coins
Half Cents:
Photo
Liberty Cap (Left), 1793
Liberty Cap (Right), 1794-1797
Draped Bust, 1800-1808
Classic Head, 1809-1835
Coronet, 1849-1857
Large Cents:
Photo
Flowing Hair silver centered cent, 1792
Flowing Hair Chain Cents, 1793
Flowing Hair Strawberry Wreath Cents, 1793
Flowing Hair Wreath Cents, 1793
Liberty Cap cents, 1793-1796
Draped Bust, 1796-1807
Classic Head, 1808-1814
Coronet, 1816-1839
Coronet (braided hair), 1840-1857
Small Cents:
Photo
Flying Eagle, 1856-1858
Indian Head, laurel wreath, 1859
Indian Head, oak leaf wreath, copper nickel, 1860-1864
Indian Head, oak leaf wreath, bronze, 1864-1909
Lincoln Head, VDB, 1909
Lincoln Head, wheat reverse, 1909-1958
Lincoln Head, steel, 1943
Lincoln Head, Memorial reverse,
(bronze) 1959-1982,
(copper plated zinc) 1982-2008
Lincoln Head, Bicentennial,
(copper plated zinc) 2009
Lincoln Head, Union shield,
(copper plated zinc) 2010-
2 Cent piece:
Photo
2 Cent Piece, Bronze, 1864-1872
US Nickel Type Coins
Nickel 3 Cent pieces:
Photo
Nickel, 1865-1889
5 cent Nickels:
Photo
Shield (with rays), 1866-1867
Shield (no rays), 1867-1883
Liberty Head (no cents), 1883
Liberty Head (with cents), 1883-1912
Buffalo (Variety 1), 1913
Buffalo (Variety 2), 1913-1938
Jefferson 1938-2003
Jefferson, 35% silver, 1942-1945
Jefferson, Westward Journey, 2004-2006
Jefferson, facing forward, 2006-
US Silver Type Coins
Silver 3 Cent pieces:
Photo
Silver, 1851-1873
Half dimes:
Photo
Bust Half Disme, 1792
Flowing Hair Half Dime, 1794-1795
Draped Bust Half Dime, 1796-1805
Capped Bust, 1829-1837
Liberty Seated, 1837-1859
Liberty Seated (with arrows), 1853-1855
Liberty Seated (with legend, new reverse), 1860-1873
Dimes:
Photo
Draped Bust, 1796-1807
Capped Bust, 1809-1837
Liberty Seated (no stars), 1837-1838
Liberty Seated (with stars), 1838-1860
Liberty Seated (arrows at date), 1853-1855
Liberty Seated (with legend), 1860-1891
Liberty Head ("Barber"), 1892-1916
Mercury, 1916-1945
Roosevelt, silver, 1946-1964
Roosevelt, clad, 1965-Present
20 cent piece:
Photo
Liberty Seated, 1875-1878
Quarters:
Photo
Draped Bust, Small Eagle 1796
Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle 1804–1807
Capped Bust 1815-1838
Liberty Seated (No motto), 1838-1865
Liberty Seated (arrows at date), 1853-1855
Liberty Seated (with legend), 1856-1891
Liberty Head ("Barber"), 1892-1916
Standing Liberty (type 1), 1916-1917
Standing Liberty (type 2), 1917-1930
Washington, silver, 1932-1964
Washington, clad, 1965-1974, 1977-1998
Washington, clad, bicentennial, 1975-1976
Washington, Statehood, 1999-2008
Washington, District of Columbia and US Territories, 2009
The quarter, short for quarter dollar, is a United States coin worth 25 cents, one-quarter of a dollar. The coin sports the profile of George Washington on its obverse, and after 1998 its reverse design has changed frequently. It has been produced on and off since 1796 and consistently since 1831.
Coins of the United States dollar were first minted in 1792. New coins have been produced annually and they make up a valuable aspect of the United States currency system. Today, circulating coins exist in denominations of 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1.00. Also minted are bullion and commemorative coins. All of these are produced by the United States Mint. The coins are then sold to Federal Reserve Banks which in turn are responsible for putting coins into circulation and withdrawing them as demanded by the country's economy.
The cent, the United States one-cent coin, often called the "penny", is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States dollar. It has been the lowest face-value physical unit of U.S. currency since the abolition of the half-cent in 1857. The first U.S. cent was produced in 1787, and the cent has been issued primarily as a copper or copper-plated coin throughout its history.
1943 steel cents are U.S. one-cent coins that were struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. The Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints each produced these 1943 Lincoln cents. The unique composition of the coin has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, zinc cent and steelie. The 1943 steel cent features the same Victor David Brenner design for the Lincoln cent which had been in use since 1909.
Mint-made errors are errors during the minting process. Groups of coins with distinctive characteristics are known as varieties. The term variety applies to coins with both intended and unintended differences while the term error refers only to coins with unintended differences. Nevertheless, not all errors are varieties. Although there may be many identical examples of some errors, others are unique. For example, there may be many indistinguishable examples of coins with a specific die crack, while off-center strikes tend to be unique. Being unique does not mean that an error is valuable. Although no other coin may be similar to a coin with an off-center strike, off-center strikes happen often enough that buyers can choose from many examples each of which varies slightly from the other. Mint error coins can be the result of deterioration of the minting equipment, accidents or malfunctions during the minting process, or intentional interventions by mint personnel. Accidental error coins are perhaps the most numerous and in modern minting are usually very rare, making them valuable to numismatists. Intentional intervention by mint personnel does not necessarily include a deliberate attempt to create an error, but usually involves an action intended to improve quality that miscarries and creates error coins instead. Errors can be the result of defective planchets, defective dies or the result of mistakes made during striking. The planchet, die, and striking classification system happens to correspond with the mintmarks of the three largest U.S. mints, Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Not all errors fall neatly within the categories. Sometimes design elements are missing from coins because die crevices are filled with grease. Labels used to identify specific categories of errors sometimes describe the cause of the error. Other errors names describe what the viewer sees when looking at the coin while others have names that were adapted for use. The result is that some errors are known by multiple names. Filled die errors are also known as missing design element errors and as strike throughs. As is noted below under the discussion of missing design element coins, some errors have multiple causes. A rare error that sold for $5462.50 on Heritage Auctions in August 2010 is an undated U.S nickel struck on top of a 1960 5 centavos. Foreign coins struck on a U.S coin planchet or vice versa are very uncommon and hold a high value.
A nickel is a five-cent coin struck by the United States Mint. Composed of cupronickel, the piece has been issued since 1866. Its diameter is 0.835 inches (21.21 mm) and its thickness is 0.077 inches (1.95 mm).
The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; that responsibility belongs to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The first United States Mint was created in Philadelphia in 1792, and soon joined by other centers, whose coins were identified by their own mint marks. There are currently four active coin-producing mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point.
The dime, in United States usage, is a ten-cent coin, one tenth of a United States dollar, labeled formally as "one dime". The denomination was first authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792.
The half dollar, sometimes referred to as the half for short or 50-cent piece, is a United States coin worth 50 cents, or one half of a dollar. It is the largest United States circulating coin currently produced in both size and weight, being 1.205 inches in diameter and 0.085 in (2.16 mm) in thickness, and is twice the weight of the quarter. The coin's design has undergone a number of changes throughout its history. Since 1964, the half dollar depicts the profile of President John F. Kennedy on the obverse and the Seal of the President of the United States on the reverse.
The two-cent piece was produced by the Mint of the United States for circulation from 1864 to 1872 and for collectors in 1873. Designed by James B. Longacre, there were decreasing mintages each year, as other minor coins such as the nickel proved more popular. It was abolished by the Mint Act of 1873.
The half dime, or half disme, was a silver coin, valued at five cents, formerly minted in the United States.
The Franklin half dollar is a coin that was struck by the United States Mint from 1948 to 1963. The fifty-cent piece pictures Founding Father Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse. A small eagle was placed to the right of the bell to fulfill the legal requirement that half dollars depict the figure of an eagle. Produced in 90 percent silver with a reeded edge, the coin was struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints. As of December 30, 2021, the melt value of the $0.50 coin was approximately $8.37.
The Seated Liberty portrait designs appeared on most regular-issue silver United States coinage from 1836 through 1891. The denominations which featured the Goddess of Liberty in a Seated Liberty design included the half dime, the dime, the quarter, the half dollar, and until 1873 the silver dollar. Another coin that appeared exclusively in the Seated Liberty design was the twenty cent piece. This coin was produced from 1875 to 1878, and was discontinued because it looked very similar to the quarter. Seated Liberty coinage was minted at the main United States Mint in Philadelphia, as well as the branch mints in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City.
The Indian Head cent, also known as an Indian Head penny, was a one-cent coin ($0.01) produced by the United States Bureau of the Mint from 1859 to 1909. It was designed by James Barton Longacre, the Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint.
This glossary of numismatics is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to numismatics and coin collecting, as well as sub-fields and related disciplines, with concise explanations for the beginner or professional.
A mint mark is a letter, symbol or an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced. It should not be confused with a mintmaster mark which is the mark of the mintmaster.
A type set is a coin collection based on coin design or type. Traditional collections consist of all dates within a series such as state quarters or Lincoln cent.
The Lincoln cent is a one-cent coin that has been struck by the United States Mint since 1909. The obverse or heads side was designed by Victor David Brenner, as was the original reverse, depicting two stalks of wheat. The coin has seen several reverse, or tails, designs and now bears one by Lyndall Bass depicting a Union shield. All coins struck by the United States government with a value of 1⁄100 of a dollar are called cents because the United States has always minted coins using decimals. The penny nickname is a carryover from the coins struck in England, which went to decimals for coins in 1971.
The numismatic history of the United States began with Colonial coins such as the pine tree shilling and paper money; most notably the foreign but widely accepted Spanish piece of eight, ultimately descended from the Joachimsthaler and the direct ancestor of the U.S. Dollar.
The United States Uncirculated Coin Set, known as the Uncirculated Set or Mint Set in the United States, is an annual coin set sold by the United States Mint. The set is marketed towards coin collectors as a way to obtain circulation coins in mint condition.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
